


Bread Rolls

by AnnaHawk



Series: Always time for coffee [9]
Category: The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Comfort, Cooking, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Frank Castle is a sweetheart, Kissing, Soft Frank Castle, always time for coffee series
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-02
Updated: 2020-05-02
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:41:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23964037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnaHawk/pseuds/AnnaHawk
Summary: Work has been beyond hectic recently and Frank tries to give you a nice evening.
Relationships: Frank Castle/Original Female Character(s), Frank Castle/Reader, Frank Castle/You
Series: Always time for coffee [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1366675
Comments: 13
Kudos: 57





	Bread Rolls

**Author's Note:**

> Finally a small sequel to this series. I don't count the little drabbles I've written until now.  
> I was (still am) in big need of a caring Frank and since my inspiration is kind of lacking at the moment, I tried to focus on something else. And it actually worked enough for me to write this yesterday.  
> Since a lot of people seemed to enjoy a soft Frank from what I gathered from "Wait, Universes?", I hope you guys will like this one as well.

The elevator finally reaches your floor and you stumble out of it, completely exhausted from your day. Work is frigging hectic at the moment. You don’t know where the amount of customers is coming from and you already have a rather big clientele as it is. You can’t really complain obviously because this only means even more good things for your business, but you’re spending even more time there as it is to get things done faster and in bigger quantities. 

You even had to employ another baker to help out with the amount of work that needs to be done each and every day. And you and Sandra are definitely not enough right now. 

The new addition is young but he has a very good resume and has some incredible talent as well as great work ethics. He's been a customer for years and has always enjoyed coming to get some tea and cake. So he'd applied immediately when he saw you hired. 

The boy is there every day and just works his ass off. You sometimes even have to threaten him to send him home when he refuses to even take the smallest break. He's quick and meticulous at the same time and Sandra already adores him.

But even with Jack there now, you still have to work a lot of odd hours and you come home late every day, beat and just about ready to fall into bed, barely getting food into you.

You trudge up to your door and it takes you forever to get the damn keys out of your handbag. It’s an ever losing battle with them really. Your bag is way too big and the key ring is so heavy from all the different keys on it that they always end up at the bottom of the bag.

You grumble in annoyance as you hold the bag aloft and roam your hand around in it. You utter a small sound of victory when your fingers finally succeed in encountering the metal of the keys and then tug them out. 

When you unlock the door, expecting to find the living room shrouded in darkness and only your bedroom lit, you are surprised to find it actually still bright with light and a mouth-watering smell wafting over to you from the kitchen.

“What the?” you mumble quietly as your tired brain tries to come up with a reason for all of this.

You slowly walk more into your loft and as soon as you can see into your kitchen, you find the cause for all of this.

Frank is standing with his back to you at the stove and from the movement he’s making, he’s apparently stirring something.

You blink your eyes in rapid successions, making sure your brain isn’t just playing tricks on you. But when you stop, you still see the same thing. Namely, Frank standing barefoot in front of your stove, wearing a pair of low riding steel gray sweatpants and a dark t-shirt that spans over his powerful back. His hair is more or less back to it’s previous length and his beard is shorter as well. It’s still fuller than it once was but you like it like that. It’s all definitely a sight you could get used to finding when you come home this late. 

You know that Frank can cook because since you officially became a thing, he has helped you whenever you cook and he’s at your apartment. But you haven't seen him cook on his own yet. 

You don’t live together. Of course not. You just managed to get somewhere with your mutual feelings but this step is still far from you for now. No, Frank has his own flat, still in Hell’s Kitchen, and though he stays at your place often enough, you think it’s a good thing that he has his own space.

You hadn’t expected anything to just go easily and that you would live happily ever after. You had never believed in that and with Frank, you know your relationship is going to be about constantly working on it. 

Nothing about it has ever been easy so far. Well. Except for the sex. That’s what started it all and what still comes so naturally between you. 

He hasn't fully healed yet though. Even a month after his unexpected return to you, his ribs are still tender, showcasing just how much damage happened to them all those months ago. So the sex part has stayed at playing with fingers and mouths. It’s actually all very intense and very good because you really need to take more time like this, both being mindful of his injuries.

But the emotional part is the hardest and you both know it. 

So both of you having your own space for now, for Frank to be able to breathe a bit and go back into his mind like he is wont to do, is the best thing you can go for. And for now, things are good.

Frank leaves whenever he’s feeling a bit off or just needs to run about, though he always tells you as much, and returns a few hours or days later. 

You had made it clear to him that you want him to do this, to just take the time he needs. Just as long as he’s honest with you about it. You don’t ask him to tell you where he goes. You trust him and you want to show him just how much by just letting him be. You believe you are both doing the right thing since he always comes back to you in the end. 

Just like tonight. 

You’d known Frank would be here tonight. He’d spent the last two days away, spending some time with Curtis and Karen. 

The Karen part you know from the woman herself since she'd been at the Café earlier this afternoon for a quick chat and a coffee. 

But you’d talked with Frank via texts during his absence and he’d told you he’d be here later.

You'd expected him to already be in bed and waiting for you there, like he’s done the last two times you’d come back this late, but apparently you’d been wrong.

When you get closer, Frank seems to finally hear you over the sound of the cooker hood because he turns around to face you, wooden spoon held in one hand with some red sauce on it.

“Hey, Sweetheart” his smile is small but happy when he sees you, his eyes wandering over you quickly.

“Hey” the word comes out slowly as you still stare at him while you put your handbag on the closest bar stool and then continue walking into the kitchen.

“Thought you’d be hungry” Frank shrugs and you think you detect a bit of embarrassment in his voice and in how he lowers his face back over the stove to resume stirring what you now discover to be thick and rich smelling tomato sauce. 

As on queue, your stomach rumbles and from this close, even Frank can hear it since he snorts at the sound. 

You hadn’t realized just  _ how _ hungry you actually are. For all the food you make and work with, you haven't eaten anything in the last, you shift your eyes over to the clock on the oven to check, twelve hours. Oh wow, okay. No wonder your starving. And now that you have a meal prepared by Frank and the man himself in front of you, your tiredness takes a back seat in your mind.

“What did you make?” you ask as you lean over the stove as well and see a colander filled with cooked linguine, all the while sniffing appreciatively at the sauce.

“Nothin’ too fancy” he shrugs again, dismissively, and you hate when he does this. Talks himself down like this.

“First off, it doesn't have to be  _ fancy... _ ” you make harsh quotation marks in the air to accentuate what you mean. “...for it to be good… And it smells fucking  _ amazing _ , Frank, so don’t even start on that. Second, the fact that you obviously made this all by yourself just for me, means everything to me” you insist fervently, voice getting lower at how touched you are by this gesture. 

Frank turns his head to you from where you are both still leaning over the pot of sauce, his eyes flickering between yours quickly. Then he ducks his head and straightens again, but not before you see the small pleased smile on his lips.

“Wanna sit down? I'll prepare you a plate” he rasps as he turns away to get to one of the cupboards to get a plate out of it.

“I’ll just wash up quickly before, okay?” you smile to yourself when Frank just nods in agreement, his back still to you, and you quickly grab your handbag to hang it next to the entrance door and kick off your shoes since you hadn’t when you came in the first time.

Then you head into your bathroom to freshen up a bit and once you’re done, you return to your kitchen where Frank is still waiting for you.

He’s standing behind the bar and is just putting a plate in front of one of the bar stools when you step up to it. 

The plate is filled with the linguine, the fragrant sauce poured on top of them and your mouth waters at the scent and the sight.

It’s when you sit down and are about to take the fork in your hand, that you notice three other things around the dish that you hadn't before as your hunger had been predominant until that moment.

First, you notice Frank poured you a small glass of red wine and there’s some freshly grated parmesan cheese in a little bowl so you can put the amount you want on your pasta. But those two things aren’t what makes you stop in what you were doing. No, it’s the three small garlic bread rolls lying on your napkin next to the glass. 

You stare at them fixedly for a few seconds before your eyes make their way up to meet Frank's, the man looking back at you with a neutral expression. But you’re not fooled even for a second when one of his hands comes up to rub at his neck in a nervous gesture after a moment and he breaks eye contact by turning around to walk over to the fridge.

“Eat up, ’s gettin’ cold” he rumbles as he opens the door to it.

“Did you go all the way to Leoncini’s to get me those bread rolls?” you inquire, voice slightly awed at how out of his way he went to please you. 

The shrug he gives you is answer enough. 

You do make some bread at your Café but most of the time it’s all sweet stuff like brioche and such. Leoncini’s though, is an Italian boutique where they sell the best italian products and you've raved about them a few times here and there. You’re especially enamored with their garlic bread rolls and Frank knows it very well. 

You suspect that the parmesan is from there too now you think about it. The thing is, they’re several districts away from yours or even Hell’s Kitchen and Frank went all the way down there to get them for you. 

So the only thing you can do in this moment is to get up again and walk into the kitchen to join Frank at the fridge where he took a beer out. He watches you approach him silently as he puts the beer on the counter, waiting for what you’re about to do. And shouldn't it be absolutely obvious to him at this point? 

Once you’re in front of him, toe to toe, you lift a hand to reach behind his neck and pull him into you for a long and heartfelt kiss. 

Frank follows your lead by putting his hands on your hips and the moment your lips touch, he melts against you, making you realize just how tense he was, how apprehensive he was about this whole thing. 

You stroke your tongue into his mouth and wrap your other arm around his neck as well, the other hand going into his hair, nails raking over his scalp. You arch your body into his and Frank's hands drift around your waist to get your even closer. 

The kiss is deep and thorough but stays languid and sweet, showing him just how much you appreciate everything he did for you to give you a nice and relaxing evening. Showing him just how much you love him. 

You hum pleasantly when you break the kiss at last and put your forehead against his. 

“Thank you” you whisper sincerely and peck him once quickly on the lips again. 

“You haven't tasted anything yet” Frank reminds you but it’s not self-deprecating anymore. You hear the smile in his words and you chuckle.

You finally disentangle yourself from Frank but slide your hand down one of his arms until you reach his hand and give it an affectionate squeeze as you step away from him before letting him go completely. 

You smile adoringly at him before you turn to go back and sit down at the bar.

“Sit with me?” you ask as you finish putting some parmesan on your dish and take the fork in hand to roll a few linguine around it.

“‘course” he grabs the beer again and wanders up to the bar just when you take the first bite. 

And promptly groan. 

“You are  _ so _ making this again” you gush as you curl another few strings of sauce covered pasta around your fork and then put it in your mouth with another hum of approuval. 

Frank snorts next to you and ducks his head as he squints at you slightly from under his eyebrows, expression pleased. 

“Glad you like it” he uncaps the beer bottle and takes a long swallow from it.

You nod fervently as you chew enthusiastically and break off a piece of one of the bread rolls which you cram into your mouth after swallowing the mouthful of pasta. 

Frank chuckles affectionately as he watches you eat with gusto. 

“I’m hungry and this is delicious” you shrug unapologetically after taking a sip from the wine, which you recognize to be the same as the one he brought some months ago. 

You spend the rest of dinner talking about both your day and by the time you’re done with eating, the fatigue is back full force and you yawn so wide that your jaw pops with it.

Frank laughs under his breath and leans in to kiss the temple closest to him, making you close your eyes briefly at the tender gesture.

“Get ready for bed, Sweetheart. I'll take care o’ the rest” 

You can only nod sleepily with a quiet “Thanks” and make your way sluggishly into your bedroom.

You get ready for bed in record time and when you slip under the sheets, you still hear Frank puttering around in the kitchen. 

You plan on waiting on him to tell him again how much you appreciate everything he’s done for you tonight, but as soon as you’re in a horizontal position, you’re out like a light.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and reviews are always appreciated ;)
> 
> Come find on [Tumblr](https://anna-hawk.tumblr.com/)


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